The Garden in the Early Days of April

What a roller coaster ride this spring has been!

The weather is always more than a subject of polite conversation for gardeners and this spring is sure to be one that we are likely to talk about for years to come. 

Hot one minute, freezing the next, it is hard to know how to dress for the outdoors. I had a sunburn and mosquito bites in March, in Canada!

It seems garden is equally confused by this spring weather.

After several fine, sunny days in a row, the magnolia flowers in the front garden decided it safe to emerge from their little furry jackets. 

Then wham-o! The thermometer plummeted and the beautiful white flowers all turned brown. 

The tree did make a bit of a recovery and a second flush of flowers appeared when the temperature levelled off again, but sadly the new flower buds were mixed with all the ugly brown ones. 

This year's spring display was certainly a mixed blessing!

One of the nicest aspects of the milder weather has been getting an early jump on the typical spring chores. Already the planters have been cleared out and pansies added.

Despite the warmer spring, it is early days for my Canadian garden. There is but a smaller scattering of flowers in the garden.

Growing hellebores are a new experience for me. I bought this Helleborus x ballardiae 'Pink Frost' to go with the clearance pink variety that you might remember that I bought last fall. (The pink hellebores are only just starting to open.)

I find the many-layered centres of hellebore flowers very interesting. 

In future, I hope to add some of the black and plum varieties that I have admired in so many people's blog posts.

So what else is blooming? In the back garden, there are daffodils.

And hyacinths of various colors.

The Ostrich ferns are starting to emerge.

Wood violets are poking their little purple heads up from under the blanket of fall leaves.

I added these tiny pink Chionodoxa very late in the fall (I have powder blue ones as well, but did not get a chance to get a photo). I am so happy with them, I am going to add more next fall.

The tiny blue scilla are still blooming.

The odd patch of lamium are flowering in the dappled shade.

And there are self-seeded Pulmonarias that have appeared in little sheltered corners of the garden.

Up close you can see that the spotted foliage has a fine, fuzzy texture, which no doubt helps to keep the plant warm on the frosty spring nights. 

Apparently, the flowers of Pulmonaria change color from blue to pink to discourage pollinators from wasting their time on already pollinated blooms. (Read Kylee's post about this on her blog Our Little Acre).

So what's blooming in your garden? I'll be making the rounds just to see.

To see what is blooming in gardens around the world, click to link for May Dreams Garden's GBBD. I am also going to join in to My Little Home and Garden's Sunlit Sunday. To put some sunshine in to your Sunday, click the link.